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Day 140 Spanish news CLOSED TOWNS BUT NO POLICE IN BARS Closed cities but no police surveillance in bars. Elda and Petrer wake up taken by the National Police on their first day of confinement, although with the terraces of the bars full. The center of Alicante offers an unusual scene during the weekend: empty nightstands and lonely streets.

CLOSED TOWNS BUT NO POLICE IN BARS Closed cities but no police surveillance in bars. Elda and Petrer wake up taken by the National Police on their first day of confinement, although with the terraces of the bars full. The center of Alicante offers an unusual scene during the weekend: empty nightstands and lonely streets. On Saturday the new restrictions decreed by the Consell to stop contagion in the Valencian Community came into force. Within the province, these measures included the perimeter closure of Elda-Petrer, the reduction of the interior capacity in bars to a third and the reduction of the capacity in terraces to 50%. In this regard, the closure of Elda and Petrer began yesterday at six in the morning: in the two localities the authorities were deployed to enforce the restrictions, controlling all the entrances and exits of both cities. The National Police of Elda and Petrer, the Local Police of both towns and the Civil Guard participated in the operation. Their respective commanders are maintaining special coordination to keep all access to both municipalities controlled and, if necessary, supported by the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) of the National Police of the Alicante Police Station. The Autonomous Police also reinforced, with prevention and monitoring actions, compliance with the regulations and restrictions decreed, while the Traffic units of the Civil Guard regulated the regional roads of Monóvar and Sax, whose circulation was cut off, as well as access from the A-31 motorway to Elda and Petrer. However, the image on the terraces of the bars in the municipalities of Elda and Petrer was very different: full capacity and without police surveillance in the area where the hotel industry is concentrated and a greater influx of people.

MUNICIPAL BORDER CONTROLS Extensive police UNITS in Elda and Petrer to enforce the perimeter confinement in both towns. The commanders of the National Police of both municipalities and the Civil Guard are maintaining a special coordination to keep controlled all access to both municipalities. The perimeter confinement of Elda and Petrer began at six in the morning this Saturday, with the participation of the different State Security Forces and Corps and, for the moment, it is developing normally and without notable incidents. The Elda and Petrer National Police, the Local Police of both towns and the Civil Guard are participating in the operation. Their respective commanders are maintaining special coordination to keep all accesses to both municipalities controlled and, if necessary, they will be supported by the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) of the National Police of the Alicante Police Station. The Autonomous Police is also reinforcing, with prevention and monitoring actions, compliance with the regulations and restrictions decreed, while the Traffic units of the Civil Guard are regulating the regional roads of Monóvar and Sax, whose circulation has been cut off, as well such as the accesses of the A-31 motorway to Elda and Petrer. In addition, the operation also includes a special surveillance at the bus station and at the Renfe station.

BORDER CONTROL ARREST The National Police have arrested a Croatian fugitive who had a European Arrest Warrant for Extradition. The fugitive was detected at a police checkpoint in the framework of the State of Alarm on one of the main avenues in the city centre. The agents of the National Police have arrested in Alicante a man who had an OEDE (European Detention Order for Extradition) by the Croatian authorities for a crime against property. The liaison office in charge of communications between the justice of European countries and the Spanish justice in matters of extraditions called the SIRENE Office (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entry) alerted the agents of the Alicante Provincial Police Station that in the city of Alicante could find a person claimed by the Croatian justice. In a police control carried out in Alicante within the framework of the State of Alarm whose mission was to ensure compliance with the mobility reduction measures established in the Royal Decree, finally, the fugitive was detected and when the police consulted the database Police the documentation that he was carrying, they verified that he was the person who was claimed by the Croatian justice, so they immediately proceeded to his arrest. The arrested person faces a five-year prison sentence for his participation in a crime of financial fraud that occurred in the city of Zagreb in 2016. The 42-year-old detainee, of Bosnian nationality, accused of an alleged crime against property was placed at the disposal of the Central Investigative Court number four of the National Court of Madrid.

BAR OWNERS NOT HAPPY Outrage in the hospitality industry for the cut in capacity that they consider a "concealed closure" The restaurateurs demand a rescue and compensation plan from the Generalitat, considering it unfeasible to open only a third of their premises. Total outrage among the hoteliers of the province upon learning of the new anticovid measures of the Consell, which reduce the capacity of the terraces of bars and restaurants by half and a third inside the establishments. The sector claims to be in a state of shock, speaks of a nightmare and a blow to receive at the beginning of a weekend, with full refrigerators and customer reservations already made, these new restrictions that in principle will be in force for a month. Until now, restaurateurs could install 100% of the terraces with distance between diners and within the premises, 75% of customers could remain. The hotel management organization maintains that these measures "make the operation of the activity of the establishments unviable and drag the companies into an unsustainable situation." In a statement, the Business Confederation of Hospitality and Tourism of the Valencian Community (Conhostur) explained that “once again, we learned about the measures on the eve of a weekend, with organized workforce activity and purchases and reservations carried out ”. The employers attack the lack of dialogue between the Administration and the business sector, proposing such restrictive measures "without consulting or notifying the employers of the sector", and are very critical of other impediments such as the lack of aid for these companies , who are also not eligible for the ERTE for workers. "It is a covert closure that leaves entrepreneurs adrift without any compensation." They demand a rescue plan like those of Germany and France, where companies have been closed, "but they have been compensated directly to keep the business fabric and workers' contracts alive." The Confederation belongs to the Business Federation of Hospitality of the Province of Alicante (Fehpa), which considers that with these cuts they want to end the sector. Emi Ortiz, manager of the entity, abounds that there is no compensatory measure on the horizon, “there are restaurants that are going to be left with a capacity of 18 people and ten workers, that is unfeasible. They are teasing us in a way that I don't know where we are going to come out. It is a disaster".

LEGAL SECRETARY FOUND DEAD The body found in La Hoya is that of a Justice official, the Police do not rule out an accident or crime. The neighbour, in her 30s, lived with her mother, had gone out for a walk with her dog and was discovered lifeless in a ditch - The Police describe what happened as "strange" The Elche guard court opened an investigation last night to try to clarify the death of a woman, apparently in her 30s, whose body was discovered late at night by a neighbour on a farm very close to the district of La Pit. The deceased was an official of the Elche courts, although this circumstance, a priori, has nothing to do with what happened. The researchers describe what happened as "strange", without ruling out any working hypothesis. It is not ruled out that it is an accident (a casual fall into the ditch) or a crime; in fact, the investigation is carried out following the protocol for cases of abuse, although there is no evidence that she had a partner. Her mother lives in the district, in an urbanization, and the agents went to notify her of the tragic event. The Police only wanted to confirm yesterday the death of the woman, whose body was found in a ditch that carried a foot of water. After the discovery, the firefighters were commissioned to collaborate in the rescue of the body and the National Police Force was notified. The area was already very dark, it was after eight in the afternoon, and powerful spotlights had to be installed to illuminate the area and allow the work of the forensic team that travelled to the place. Patrols from 091 proceeded to cordon off the area so that no one approached the scene while awaiting the arrival of the coroner and the judicial commission to inform them about what happened. The amount of conflicting data did not allow the agents to rule out at any time that it was an accident or a violent event. In just over 20 minutes the judicial uprising ended. After the identification and finalizing the collection of samples in the place, personnel of the funeral home proceeded to transfer the corpse to the Forensic Institute of Alicante where this morning it was scheduled to proceed to the autopsy, which will be decisive to find out the cause of death. The forensic evidence seems currently decisive to advance the investigation. There are no witnesses to what happened and the injury she presented is compatible with a fall. Some sources pointed out that she was walking with her dog; in fact, the agents located a dog in the vicinity of the place, barking, and at first they asked the neighbours in the area in case someone could identify him because he was very nervous. In fact, the dog even bit one of the officers before fleeing. This morning he returned to the house. As the minutes passed, the nervousness took hold of the neighbours, few used to see a deployment like yesterday the Police Station in the district starred, with several vehicles, large lights and flashes to signal the area. After midnight it became known who it was. The autopsy confirms that the Elche official was strangled from the back. The Police have searched the area without finding any evidence or made arrests at this time, the girl had no partner.

BIG FAT GYPSY WEDDING Police dissolved a gypsy wedding in the vicinity of the Plaza de Yolanda Esrich in Alicante. The celebration ended with dozens of people sanctioned. Last night the National Police had to dissolve a gypsy wedding in an esplanade near the Plaza de Yolanda Esrich in Alicante. According to police sources, the operatives who were patrolling the area as civilians alerted the other troops to the celebration and soon after, agents from the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR), GOR and the so-called 'zetas' appeared at the scene. The rapid action of the National Police managed to contain the symposium, where people were eating and drinking alcohol, in addition to violating safety and health regulations to fight covid-19. The celebration ended with dozens of people sanctioned.

TORREVIEJA GOES CHRISTMASSY Torrevieja will spend 50% more on Christmas and party lighting. Torrevieja opposition party Suena is calling the € 152,000 investment "wasteful" while there are only 8,000 in aid to businesses. Sueña Torrevieja questioned yesterday that the City Council has allocated an expense of 152,000 euros for lighting the management and Christmas holidays and only 8,000 for aid to the commercial sector due to the impact of the health crisis. The mayor of this formation, Pablo Samper, clarifies that "we do not question either the spirit of our patron saint festivities, nor the Christmas spirit, since we understand that it is necessary to give joy to the city on such special yet complicated dates" . Samper clarifies that «this waste is out of place and that the same budget as the previous year should have at least been maintained, also taking into account that the state of alarm that will be in force on those dates and its consequences of limitation of business hours »Which lowers the lighting performance.

DEATH SCAM Police uncover a macro-scam in Alicante to keep 78 houses of the dead. The National Police detain 15 people from a group led by a Benidorm lawyer who has earned more than three million from the sale of homes of deceased people that they put in the name of figureheads with false documents. The National Police of Alicante has dismantled a plot led by a Benidorm lawyer who for almost a decade has allegedly dedicated himself to committing scams to appropriate real estate and other assets of deceased people who had no heirs or went abroad without anyone claiming them . The houses were sold at a price significantly higher than that paid to register them in the name of figureheads through the falsification of powers of attorney or donation deeds and with these fraudulent operations those involved have earned more than three million euros, according to sources confirmed to this newspaper close to the case. Investigators from the Economic Crime Group of the Alicante Judicial Police Provincial Brigade have arrested fifteen people in the operation and have discovered that the group has tried to keep about 80 houses since 2012, but they do not rule out that the figure is even higher . On 26 occasions they achieved their purpose and the police intervention has prevented the fraudulent sale of another 32 homes from being executed, while there are another twenty cases that are under suspicion and are being investigated. Since last August, a chain of arrests have been made, the last one this past week. So far the Police have arrested 15 people and charged another in Alicante, Benidorm, La Nucía, Elche, Altea and Polop de la Marina. The operation, led by a court in Alicante, remains open and new arrests are not ruled out